This Lightweight Sports Car Is the Lovechild of Science and Legendary F1 Designer Gordon Murray

Gordon Murray, the man who is also credited for drawing up the legendary McLaren F1 road car, is building his own vehicle dubbed the T.43.

byBrian Evans|
This Lightweight Sports Car Is the Lovechild of Science and Legendary F1 Designer Gordon Murray
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Gordon Murray Automotive, headed by the legendary designer who penned numerous Formula 1 cars as well as the record-smashing McLaren F1, has detailed the specs for its upcoming T.43 sports car.

According to a release from the manufacturer, the T.43 will use the iStream Superlight chassis, developed by its sister company Gordon Murray Design. This platform touts a modular construction that can be adapted to various vehicle segments including sports cars, electric city cars, SUVs, and light commercial vehicles, per GMD. The iStream Superlight promises to be up to 50 percent lighter when compared to a standard stamped-metal body and it features ultra-high corrosion resistance that exceeds the levels achieved by coated steel, low cost recycled aluminum alloys, recycled carbon fiber, and other traditional as well as new-age manufacturing materials.

The T.43 sports car is the first platform and product designed for license or sale by GMA which, thanks to a new licensing model developed by the company, allows for other automakers to build off its design. 

GMA stated the T.43 weighs 850 kilograms or 1,874 pounds, and it will be powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine with 220 horsepower, giving the vehicle a power to weight ratio of 259 horsepower per ton. The compact power unit will be mated to a six-speed manual transmission to send power to the ground. Dimension specifics claim that the rolling chassis will be 143.3 inches long, 68.9 inches long, and 48.8 inches tall with a wheelbase of 98.4 inches. 

Livability is also a major focus of the brand's first production model as ergonomics and cargo capacity have also been factored in alongside lightweight materials and punchy performance.

Gordon Murray Design

Collectively, the T.43 is a streamlined package that boasts Murray's known strengths and applies them to a more attainable, livable package than the racing machines he's known for. While there are many startups that make claims of industry-shaking developments, GMA seems to be working towards an applicable design that squeezes the most out of relatively simple components. After all, if there's anyone who can make it work, we're sure it's Murray.

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